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Saturday, April 23, 2011

I love dosas - not just the traditional one, but ALL types of dosas. The newer kind it is the better it is! I find it very easy and convenient to make dosas for breakfast - than any other item.... once the batter is ready, make chutney before people are ready for breakfast and then make hot and crisp dosas and serve one after the other. And you can customize it for each person as they like - thick or thin, fluffy or crispy, small or big, with chutney smeared on it or without, and so on. So everyone’s happy and so you are, without much effort.

Coming to the varieties of dosas, I do keep looking out for different kinds and came across this HuraLi (horsegram) dosa in some blog. I'm so sorry that i forgot where i got this from, and in case this recipe is one of yours, please do update me and i'll add your link. I did search again to find out from where i had noted down this recipe but couldn't find.

I decided to give it a try as horsegram was lying in the kitchen counter in a huge quantity and also people kind of like it at home. I added some spices like cumin, coriander, ginger while grinding the batter as I felt the smell of horse gram was overpowering.

The dosas were good - quite crispy, irrespective of being thin or thick. It tasted good for breakfast and better when the dosas were made the following evening. However, I didn’t like it much when made on the next morning - may be the better had rested too long though in the fridge. Anyways, it was worth the try..

Method:Batter:• Soak the rice, urad dal and methi in enough amount of water for 4-6 hours• Grind it to a smooth paste and let it ferment overnight• Soak horse gram in enough water at night and let it soak while the rice batter is fermenting• Next morning, grind the soaked horse gram with cumin seeds, coriander and ginger to a fine paste. Add water to facilitate the blades• Mix this with the fermented batter and add salt and mix well

Dosa:• Heat the griddle• When the griddle is hot, smear a few drops of oil• Pour 1 to 1 ½ Tbsp of batter on the griddle. Spread it like a normal dosa - thick or thin as you want. This batter is very obedient• Smear a few drops of oil• Cook on medium heat, covering• Serve hot with a coconut chutney

Tips n Tricks:• Do not cook the dosa on high flame. It’ll brown too soon

Friday, April 8, 2011

A special meal cannot be complete without a sweet. And to make it light and simple, what is better than a payasa or kheer? And especially if it involves fresh carrots as the main ingredients, no one can say no to it! Carrots make it as the best veggie to be used in sweets, due to their lovely sweet taste and flavor.

And this one is easy to prepare too... just a few minutes of preparation and out comes a lovely, colorful payasa. This one is my MIL’s recipe and I just love it....

Method: • Wash, peel and grate carrots; it can also be thinly sliced • In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and add raisins and half the cashews; once done transfer it to a small bowl for garnishing later • Add the remaining ghee and add sliced or grated carrots and sauté till soft. You can cover the lid, to speed up the process. But make sure it is not charred, by stirring it frequently • Towards the end, add the almonds and the remaining cashews and sauté • Once carrots are cooked soft, allow to cool and blend it to a puree in a blender; add milk if needed • Meanwhile bring the milk to boil and once done, transfer the carrot puree and sir • Add sugar and continue stirring till it starts boiling • Garnish with the prepared cashews and raisins and a few saffron strands • Serve hot, warm or chilled.

Tips n Tricks: • If the puree is not smooth enough, strain it through a strainer before adding to the milk